Machine for producing flexible shafting



June 25, 1935. 1... H. MORIN I MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FLEXIBLE ISiIAFTING Filed Dec. '7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 25, 1935. 1.. H. MORIN 2,006,174

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Filed Dec. 7, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTQR BYJ ATTOR EY Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR PRODUCING FLEXIBLE SHAFTING Louis B. Morin, New York, N. YQassignor to American Flexible Shaft Manufacturing Corporation, New York, New Jersey N. Y., a corporation of Application December 7, 1928, Serial No. 324,465

- 3 Claims.

'by winding one or a plurality of wires about a core and more especiallyrefers to a means for advantageously forming aflexible shaft of the type described.

Flexible shafting of the type specified is usually made in continuous lengths andthen cut into desired lengths.

If flexible shafting is made by winding one or more layers of wire on a core, the ends of the layers will tend to unwind or uncurl and if it is severed at any particular point the material forming the layers will also unwind or uncurl at the severed ends. This unwinding or uncurling is troublesome in practice because it interferes with the ready placing of couplings or terminals on the ends.

Various methods have been resorted to in order to obviate the difficulty caused by this unwinding or uncurling. One method is before severing, to compress the shaft at the point where theshaft is to be severed and for some substantial distance on each side thereof so that the strands of the layers will become mashed, flattened, crushed, interengaged, and imbedded one within the other so that when the shaft is severed the strands of the several layers cannot possibly uncurl or unwind. Another method is to place a sleeve over the shafting at the point where the cut is to be made and to so compress this sleeve as to crush it into the several layers so that when the out has been made there can be no possibility of the strands of the several layers unwinding or uncurling. Another method is to subject the flexible shafting throughout its entire length to a heat treatment which will free the strands from any tendencyto uncurl or unwind.

The compression method and the sleeve method involve the difliculty of knowing beforehand just where the cut is to be made. If this is not known, then one must go to the trouble of pressing or applying the sleeve in each case at the desired point where a cut is required. The heat treatment method results in a considerable discoloration which is objectionable and which must be 4 removed by a further operation as it militates sired lengths and the severed ends will show no tendency of the several layers to unwind or uncurl. Applicant obtains this result by subjecting the layer or layers formed about the central core to a multitude of blows applied progressively around the entire periphery of the shafting preferably but not necessarily, throughout its entire length. The blows in accordance with applicants method'are in the nature of hammer blows but are of insuflicient force to materially deform or mash or crush the shafting but are of sufiicient magnitude apparently to stretch the outer portion of a layer or layers so as to give the turns a set in their then position so that when the flexible shafting is severed at any point the several layers exhibit no tendency to unwind or uncurl.

Further advantages of applicants invention will appear from a description of a machine embodying applicants invention and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate a machine devised by applicant reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a particular physical embodiment of the machine and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and, in which:

Figure 1 is a top planview of a flexible shafting making machine embodying applicant's invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device as shown by Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a face view of what will be known as the swaging device forming part of the machine as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a. part elevational and part sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 3, on the plane indicated by the line IVIV of Fig. 3 viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line; Fig. 5 is a detail face view of a portion of the device as shown by Fig. 3 and known as the spindle head with parts removed to more clearly show the construction; Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the device of Fig. 5 on the plane indicated by the line VIVI of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with certain parts removed to more clearly show the construction; Fig. 8 is a view of a fragment of flexible shafting as made by applicants machine illustrating the core and two layers of wire helically wound thereon.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a bed or frame I constituting a. support 'for the various parts which together constitute a complete shafting making machine.

The material forming the core 2 of the shafting 'slot 29 by the plate 34 is supplied to the machine on a spool 3 mounted upon a bracket 4 supported by the bed I.

The core 2 passes through winding head 5 then through swaging device 6, then through another winding head 5, another swaging device 6, a friction block or retarding device 1, flexing device 8 and a pull-along or feeding device 9.

Each of the devices 5, 8 and 9 have power applied thereto by cross-shafts, as 10. In the form shown each of these cross-shafts has a beveled gear rigidly attached to its outer end which meshes with and is driven by a beveled gear, as I I, mounted upon and secured to a main driving shaft I2.

The main driving shaft is supported by the bed I and is driven in any suitable or appropriate manner, as by pulley I3 and belt l4 communicating with any appropriate source of motion. For convenience the pulley I3 is mounted loosely upon the shaft 12 and is connected thereto and disconnected therefrom by means of a clutch l5. This clutch i5 is conveniently operated by the rod l6, extending along the operator's side or front of the machine, connected to the lever l1, pivoted at 18.

The swaging devices 6 are also preferably driven from the main driving shaft I2. I have illustrated the swaging machines, however, as being belt driven. The belt being designated l9 and the pulley on the driving shaft as 20.

The general form and construction of the bed I, spool'3, winding head 5, retarding device 1, flexing device 8, feeding device 9, cross-shafts HI, driving shaft I2, pulley l3, belt I4, clutch l5 and operators control rod I6 is known and have all been described in detail in my United States Letters Patents Nos. 1,767,692 and 1,767,693, issued June 24, 1930. The particular formof swaging device, designated generally by 6, which I have found appropriate for the purposes of this invention is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 to 1 inclusive. I

The swaging device includes a. standard or support 2| having mounted thereon a. spindle carrier held in proper position and prevented from turning by set screw 23. Through the spindle carrier 22 extends spindle 24 which is formed hollow, that is, with a'through bore 25. It bears a tight pulley 26 and a loose pulley 21. One end of the spindle 24 is formed into a head 28. This head 28 is formed with transverse slot 29, best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Within the slot 29 are positioned the two opposing dies 30 and 3|, best shown in Fig. 5, and in the same slot are positioned the backers 32 and 33. The backers are formed with a rounded outer periphery as best shown in Fig. 5, fora purpose to be hereinafter described. The dies 30 and 3| are held within attached by screws 35 to the spindle head 28 and the backers are held in place by the plates 36, projecting pins 33 attached or integral therewith fitting into the orifices 39 of the backers and so preventing the backers from getting out of the slot 29. As the backers reciprocate at times, as will be hereinafter indicated, the plates 36 are made with slots" so' as to enablethe plates together with the backers to reciprocate.

Surrounding spindle head 28, but spaced a. short distance therefrom, is a roll rack ,best shown in Fig. 3. This roll rack 4| is inserted into a cavity 42 in the spindle carrier head 22 and carries rollers 43. The. rack and rolls are prevented from moving out of the cavity 42 by the plate 44 attached by screws 45 to the spindle carrier head 22.

It will now be evident that if a core wire as 2 about which wire has been helically wound is passed through the bore 25 in. the spindle 24 and while it is in place therein the spindle 24 is caused to rotate, the head 28 carrying the backers 32 and 33 will be caused to rotate and cause backers 32 and 33 to come in contact with; the rollers 43. Each time a backer as 32 comesin contact with a roller as 43 the backer will be driven inwardly toward the axis of the spindle 24 and coming in contact with a roller as 43 the backer will be driven inwardly toward the axis of the spindle 24 and coming in contact with a die, as 3 I, will cause that die to impinge against the outside surface of the helically surrounded core 2 and deliver to the outside surface thereof a hammer blow. A hammer blow will be delivered simultaneously to each side as the backers 32 and 33, as shown in Fig. 3, are caused to move inwardly simultaneously.

As the core 2 surrounded by a helically wound layer passes through the swaging device a multiplicity or series of blows, of the nature of hammer blows are delivered to its entire outside or 3 The blows are not delivered peripheral surface. along the wire progressively in a straight line but are delivered progressively along the entire out- 46 and 41 as shown in Fig. 8. The blows are of such magnitude that the turns of the helix will have the material thereof or at least the outer layers thereof so stretched as to free each turn from a tendency to uncurl and substitute for that tendency a set so that if the flexible shaft.

is severed at any point along its length the several layers on the core will have no tendency to uncurl or unwind.

Shafting made as hereinbefore outlined will appear uniform throughout its entire length.

Applicant has illustrated two winding heads 5 in Figs. 1 and 2. It is to be'understood that the number of winding heads may be'as desired; If it is desired to have only one wire helically wound about the core wire 2,-only one winding head 5 would be required. For additional helically.

woundlayers there would be required an additional number of winding heads 5 equal to the required additional number of layers; As applicant has only illustrated two winding heads 5 .he has illustrated his product in Fig. 8 as consisting of a carrier and two layers of helically wound wire thereon.

Applicant has illustrated two swaging devices 6.

This illustration has been made because in some cases applicant will desire to swage each layer as formed before the application of the succeeding layer, that is, referring to Fig. 8, the layer 46 after being wound upon the carrier 2 may be swaged and then after the layer 41 is wound on top of the first layer 46 a second swaging may be given, applied to the outside of layer 41. It is to be understood, however, that applicant may omit the first swaging and swage only afterthe second layer 41 has been placed on the carrier -2. In

short, applicant may make flexible .shafting 75.

ber of helically wound layers one over the other as will produce a finished product suitable for applicants purposes and whfle being made this flexible shafting may be subjected to swaging as desired, by swaging each layer or by swaging each second layer or by swaging only the outside layer. In order to perform such swaging applicant would arrange a swaging device 6 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, of each winding head 5 or to the left of such winding heads 5 as produce the layer which it is desired to swage.

Applicant may permanently position a swaging device at the exit end of each winding head without regard to whether each layer is to be swaged or only the last layer because by shifting the belt I! to the loose pulley 21 the swaging device designated as a whole by 6 may be temporarily rendered inoperative but if a change of purpose requires that swaging take place immediately upon the issuance of the core 2 from any particular winding head 5 then the swaging device immediately ahead of that particular winding head will be put into operation by shifting the belt manually or by any appropriate means from the loose pulley 21 to the tight pulley 26. This arrangement also allows swaging to be conveniently done only at spaced intervals.

Although the shafting to which this invention relates is described as having a core it is to be understood that the core may not necessarily be a permanent element of the shafting. It may be that the shafting may be formed upon a core which serves merely as a mandrel and that the mandrel may be removed after the helically wound layers are suitably formed so that the word core in this specification may be considered in some cases as equivalent merely to an imaginary axis about which the several layers are positioned and this is especially true where applicant utilizes his invention to set the turns of a single layer of wire wound helically upon a mandrel and then removes the mandrel and utilizes the single layer of helically wound wire for his purposes.

Although for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of the means of applicants invention a particular and specific form of winding head and swaging device and flexer have been described, it is to be understood that applicants invention is not on that account to be limited,

.but the illustration and description are to be considered merely as illustrative but not to exidea of means underlying the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a machine for making flexible shafting of the type having a core surrounded throughout by a plurality of layers of helically wound wire, in combination: means including a winding head for forming a helically wound layer of wire on the core; means positioned in advance of said first named means for forming another helically wound layer of wire on the first layer; means arranged in advance of the last named means and arranged to receive therefrom a core with the two layers of wire thereon for administering thereto progressively along its entire length and around its entire periphery a multiplicity of hammer blows of a magnitude insufliclent to cause material distortion thereof; means arranged in advance of the last named means for receiving the core with the layers thereon and flexing the same and means arranged in advance of the last named means for causing the gradual advance of the core and its layers.

2. In a machine for making flexible shafting of the type having a core surrounded throughout by a plurality, of layers of helically wound wire, in combination: means including a winding head for forming a. helically wound layer of wire on a core and a hammer blow administering device positioned in advance of said means and adapted to receive the helically wound core as it issues from the first said means, said hammer blow administering device including means whereby the layer is hammered progressively along its entire length around its entire periphery by a multiplicity of blows of a magnitude insufilcient to cause material distortion thereof; means arranged in advance of the hammer blow administering device for flexing the helically surrounded core after being hammered and means for advancing the core.

3. In a machine for the manufacture of flexible shafting the combination of core pay out means, strand feeding and winding mechanism, and a swaging device disposed beyond the winding mechanism, said swaging device comprising opposed dies embracing the fabricated shaft as it progresses, and means surrounding said dies for rapidly reciprocating them and efiecting a hammering action on the coils of said shaft.

7 LOUIS H. MORIN. 

